Food processing apparatus and method

ABSTRACT

A food processing system includes a food processing chamber for processing a food product, such as meat products such as hot dogs, sausages, poultry, fish, and other food items. A high speed serial to parallel loading station delivery system is provided. The food product is loaded onto a conveyor in the processing chamber having a plurality of two-piece food product cradles having openings receiving the food product at the loading station and discharging the food product at the unloading station and having gaps between food product carriers distally oppositely spaced from the openings and defining food product cavities therebetween, the width of the openings varying during traversal of the conveyor through the chamber from the loading to the unloading stations.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY

The invention relates to food processing systems, including cookingand/or chilling, for example in processing meat products such as hotdogs, sausages, poultry, fish, and other food products.

In one aspect, a loading system is provided for fast, efficient loadingfrom a serial supply line into a food processing chamber.

In another aspect, an improved conveyance system is provided through thefood processing chamber, including improved food product cradles andcarriers.

In another aspect, a simple, effective discharge system is provided atthe unloading station.

In another aspect, an effective cleaning system is provided.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side elevation view partially cut away of a food processingsystem in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of FIG. 1, at theloading station.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is like FIG. 5 and illustrates another operational position.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 3 and illustratesoperation.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 schematically illustrates operation of the structure of FIG. 7.

FIG. 10 is a view taken along line 10-10 of FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of FIG. 1.

FIG. 12 is an end view partially cut away of the structure of FIG. 11.

FIG. 13 is an enlarged view taken along line 13-13 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 14 is an enlarged view taken along line 14-14 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 15 is an exploded perspective view of the structure of FIG. 11.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 shows food processing apparatus 20 including a food processingchamber 22 for processing a food product 24, FIGS. 2, 11, such as meatproducts, e.g. hot dogs, sausage, poultry, fish, or other food products.The food product is transported through chamber 22 by a conveyor 25,preferably a serpentine conveyor. Food processors with continuousserpentine chain conveyors are known in the prior art, for example U.S.Pat. Nos. 4,138,860, 4,277,954, 4,329,850, 4,784,053, 5,253,569, allincorporated herein by reference. Also known in the prior art arevarious processing and circulating systems and compartments forproviding cooking heat by steam, hot water, hot air or the like, andchilling by a tap water shower, recirculated brine or glycol, cooled airor the like, for example the noted incorporated U.S. Pat. No. 5,253,569.Such heating, cooling and circulation systems may include, for example,a fresh air inlet such as 26, a source of heat such as a gas burner 28,a blower such as 30 driven by a motor such as 32 for circulating heatedair through one or more compartments through which the serpentineconveyor travels, and an exhaust such as 34. The heating and circulationsystem may be repeated in further compartments such as shown at 36, 38.The systems may further include refrigeration coils such as 40 havingdefrost dampers such as 42 and balancing dampers such as 44 forproviding and directing cooling chilling air as circulated by blowerssuch as 46 driven by motors such as 48, all as is known in the priorart. The heating and chilling zones may be separated by a shower zonesuch as 50 having shower nozzles such as 52 for pre-cooling the foodproduct after the heating zone and prior to the chilling zone, as isknown in the prior art.

The food product is loaded onto conveyor 25 at loading station 54, FIGS.1-9. Another conveyor 56 delivers the food product serially to loadingstation 54. In one embodiment, conveyor 56 delivers food product from asystem, such as a sausage making machine sold by Townsend EngineeringCo. under their trademark KONTURA. At the loading station, aserial-to-parallel transfer loading delivery system, to be described,transfers food product 24 in parallel from conveyor 56 to conveyor 25.The food product is a plurality of food items 24 delivered end-to-end onconveyor 56 to loading station 54. The serial-to-parallel transferloading delivery system includes a transfer bar 58 transferring aplurality of food items 24 simultaneously to conveyor 25 from conveyor56. Conveyor 56 continuously delivers food items 24 to loading station54 and continuously travels through the loading station. Transfer bar 58transfers food items in batches to conveyor 25 without halting conveyor56. This provides fast, efficient operation and overcomes priordisadvantages when it is necessary to stop conveyor 56 to enable loadingof the food product into processing chamber 22. Transfer bar 58 movesinto and out of the path of movement of food items 24 carried onconveyor 56. Transfer bar 58 moves at a speed equal to or greater thanconveyor 56 such that transfer bar 58 engages and transfers a batch offood items to conveyor 25, including the last food item in series in thebatch, and then retracts out of the path of movement of the food itemsbefore the serially successive next food item.

Conveyor 25 travels through loading station 54 in a first direction 60,FIGS. 3, 8. Conveyor 56 travels through the loading station in a seconddirection 62, FIGS. 2, 5. Transfer bar 58 transfers the food productfrom conveyor 56 to conveyor 25 in a third direction 64, FIG. 8. Each ofthe noted first, second and third directions is transverse to eachother. A transfer mechanism 66, FIG. 2, is provided by a pair of rotarydisks 68, 70, each rotation about a respective rotational axis 72, 74.Transfer bar 58 is journaled to each of the disks and translated therebyfor reciprocal movement into and out of the path of movement of foodproduct 24 on conveyor 56. The transfer mechanism includes a drivetrain, such as a drive spindle 76, and a belt 78, preferably a chainbelt, trained around rotary disks 68, 70 and drive spindle 76 forrotating the disks in response to rotation of the drive spindle.Transfer bar 58 is journaled to each of disks 68, 70 at a respectivejournal point 80, 82, FIG. 5, spaced radially outwardly of therespective rotational axis 72, 74, such that rotation of disks 68, 70drives transfer bar 58 from a retracted position, FIG. 5, to an extendedposition, FIG. 6. In FIG. 4, the retracted position of transfer bar 58is shown in solid line, and the extended position is shown in phantom.In FIG. 6, the retracted position is shown in phantom, and the extendedposition is shown in solid line. In FIG. 7, the retracted position isshown in phantom, and the extended position is shown in solid line. Eachjournal point 80, 82 moves in a circle. Transfer bar 58 moves in an archaving a vector component into and out of the path of movement of foodproduct 24 on conveyor 56 transverse to the noted first direction 60 andto the noted second direction 62, and having a vector component alsopushing food product 24 from conveyor 56 forwardly, arrow 84, FIGS. 2,5, in the same direction thereof onto conveyor 25, such that rotation ofdisks 68, 70 translate transfer bar 58 to transfer food product 24transversely from conveyor 56, as shown at arrow 64, FIGS. 7, 8, andalso forwardly therefrom and in the same direction thereof from conveyor56 to conveyor 25, as shown at arrow 84 in FIGS. 2 and 5.

Serpentine conveyor 25 transports food product 24 through chamber 22from loading station 54 to unloading station 90 where the food productis discharged to another conveyor such as shown in phantom at 92 inFIG. 1. A plurality of food product cradles 94, FIGS. 2, 7, 9, carryfood product 24 through chamber 22 from loading station 54 to unloadingstation 90. Each cradle has an opening 96 receiving food product 24 atloading station 54 and discharging the food product at unloading station90. The opening has a width 98, FIG. 7 which varies during traversal ofconveyor 25 from a loading station 54 to unloading station 90. The width98 of opening 96 becomes wider at unloading station 90 as shown atincreased width 100, FIG. 14. Cradle 94 is provided by two pieces,namely a leading food product carrier 102, FIG. 9, and a trailing foodproduct carrier 104. Each carrier has a first segment 106, 108,respectively, and a second segment 110, 112, respectively. Cradle 94 isformed by the second segment 110 of the leading food product carrier andthe first segment 108 of the trailing food product carrier immediatelytherebehind. Second segment 110 of the leading food product carrier isseparated from the first segment 108 of the trailing food productcarrier by a gap 114. Gap 114 is distally oppositely spaced from opening96 by a food product cavity 116 containing food product 24 therein. Thewidth of opening 96 and the orientation of gap 114 vary during traversalof conveyor 25 from loading station 54 to unloading station 90.

The noted plurality of two-piece food product cradles 94 are each formedby the noted second segment 110 of a leading food product carrier 102and the first segment 108 of a trailing food product carrier 104immediately therebehind. The second segment 110 of the leading foodproduct carrier is separated from the first segment 108 of the trailingfood product carrier by the noted gap 114. Food product 24 is carried,FIG. 10, by both the second segment 110 of the leading food productcarrier and the first segment 108 of the trailing food product carrierand spans gap 114 during designated portions of the travel path ofconveyor 25. Gap 114 has a width less than the width of food product 24such that the food product cannot fall through gap 114 in cradle 94,including for large food items as shown in phantom at 24 a in FIG. 10,and smaller food items as shown in solid line at 24 in FIG. 10. Thenoted first segment of each food product carrier has first and secondopposite faces 118 and 120. First face 118 faces forwardly toward thenext food product carrier thereahead. Second face 120 faces aft towardthe next food product carrier therebehind. Second face 120 meets thenoted second segment 110 at a junction 122.

Conveyor 25 has a plurality of upwardly traveling flights such as 124,FIGS. 1, 3, 7, 9, 13, and a plurality of downwardly traveling flights126 joined by upper and lower loops 128, 130, respectively. Food product24 changes from a first position 132, FIG. 9, to a second position 134as the conveyor travels around a respective loop such as 128. The foodproduct in position 132 is carried by the second segment 110 a of aleading food product carrier and the first face 118 a of the firstsegment 106 a of a trailing food product carrier and spans gap 114 atherebetween. The food product in the second position 134 is carried bythe second segment 110 a and the second face 120 b of the first segment106 b of the same carrier at junction 122 b. In the case of acylindrical food product, such as a hot dog or sausage, the food productrolls as shown at 136 from first position 132 to second position 134.Second segment 10 of the carrier is flat to facilitate the noted rollingand to minimize surface area contact with food product 24, touch-markson the food product, and tendency of the food product to stick to thecarrier, for example as otherwise caused by curved or concave foodproduct carriers which have larger surface area contact and hence largertouch-marks, and also greater tendency to stick to the food product.

Food product 24 changes from the noted first position 132 to the notedsecond position 134 as conveyor 25 travels around an upper loop 128.Food product 24 changes from the noted second position 134 to the notedfirst position 132 as conveyor 25 travels around a lower loop 130, FIG.13. Food product 24 in the noted first position 132 is carried by twofood product carriers, namely the second segment 110 a of a leading foodproduct carrier and the first face 118 a of the first segment 106 a ofthe immediately trailing food product carrier. Food product 24 in thesecond position 134 is carried by one food product carrier, namely thesecond segment 110 a of the one food product carrier and the second face120 b of the first segment 106 b of the same such one food productcarrier. Food product 24 changes location along the noted second segment110 a between the noted first and second positions 132 and 134. Foodproduct 24 in the first position 132 engages second segment 110 a at afirst location 138 therealong. Food product 24 in the noted secondposition 134 engages second segment 110 a at a second location 140therealong.

In the preferred embodiment, each food product carrier is L-shaped andhas a first leg providing first segment 106, and a second leg providingsecond segment 110. The first leg at 106 extends substantiallyhorizontally during travel of conveyor 25 in upward flight 124. Thesecond leg at 110 extends substantially vertically during travel ofconveyor 25 in upward flight 124. The first and second legs meet at thenoted junction 122. The first leg has an upwardly turned lip 142 at theend thereof opposite junction 122. Lip 142 is turned to extend fromfirst leg 106 in a direction opposite to second leg 110, such that lip142 extends upwardly during travel of conveyor 25 in upwardly travelingflight 124. Travel of conveyor 25 along downward flight 126 is along agiven downward angle as shown at arrow 144, FIGS. 7, 9, 13, such thatfood product 24 is carried at the junction of the noted legs, forexample as shown at junction 122 c. Food product 24 changes positionsbetween loading station 54 and unloading station 90. Food product 24 isin the noted first position 132 at the loading station, and is in thenoted second position 134 at the unloading station. The conveyortraverses around a discharge loop 146, FIGS. 1, 14, at the unloadingstation. The noted junction 122 changes from an upwardly facingorientation as shown at 122 d to a downwardly facing orientation asshown at 122 e, including a change in orientation of first segment 106from upwardly angled as shown at 106 d to downwardly angled as shown at106 e. Food product 24 falls by gravity along and exits from downwardlyangled first segment 106 e, and then falls on conveyor 92 as shown inphantom at 148 and at arrow 150. Food product 24 engages the second faceas shown at 120 e of the first segment as shown at 106 e at unloadingstation 90 and discharges therealong at discharge loop 146. Food product24 engages the first face as shown at 118 in FIG. 9 of the first segment106 at loading station 54.

Conveyor 25 has a return path as shown at arrow 152, FIG. 1, fromunloading station 90 to loading station 54 external of chamber 22. Inpreferred form, each of the noted first and second segments 106 and 110of the food product carriers are flat. A washing station 154 is providedexternal to chamber 22 and along return path 152 for washing the foodproduct carriers. The noted flat conveyor segments 106, 110, etc.facilitate access of the washing station and the washing spray therefromto the food product carriers and rinsing thereof to facilitate removalof food product remnants.

The conveyor is preferably provided by a pair of transversely spacedchains 156, 158, FIGS. 3, 4, 7, 11-15, driven by a motor drive 160 andtraversing around upper and lower sprockets 162 and 164 providing thenoted upper and lower loops 128 and 130, respectively. The food productcarriers 102, etc., FIGS. 15, 11, 12, are mounted by respective bolts166 and nuts 168 and grommets 170 to a respective flange 172 on arespective chain link 174. Each food product carrier 102 is the notedL-shaped member and preferably perforated with a plurality ofperforations 176 to facilitate circulation of the processing mediumtherethrough, such as steam, hot air, cold air, cold rinse, etc., tomaximize contact of such processing medium with the food product, andalso to minimize surface contact area of the carrier with the foodproduct to in turn minimize touch-marks which are objectionable forfinal product appearance, and to minimize the noted sticking.

The present system provides a method for processing a food product 24including providing a food processing chamber 22, providing a firstconveyor 25 for transporting the food product through the chamber,providing a loading station 54 for loading the food product onto thefirst conveyor, providing a second conveyor 56 for conveying the foodproduct to the loading station, conveying the food product serially,e.g. end-to-end, on the second conveyor to the loading station,transferring the food product in parallel from the second conveyor tothe first conveyor, and transporting the food product on the firstconveyor through the chamber. The method further includes conveying aplurality of food items end-to-end from the second conveyor to theloading station, and transferring a plurality of food itemssimultaneously to the first conveyor from the second conveyor. Themethod includes continuously conveying the food items on the secondconveyor to the loading station and transferring the food items inbatches to the first conveyor without halting the second conveyor. Themethod includes providing a transfer bar transferring the food itemsfrom the second conveyor to the first conveyor, moving the transfer barinto and out of the path of movement of the food items on the secondconveyor at a speed equal to or greater than the conveyance speed of thesecond conveyor such that the transfer bar engages and transfers a batchof food items to the first conveyor, including the last food item inseries in the batch, and then retracts out of the path of movement ofthe food items before the serially successive next food item on thesecond conveyor. The method includes conveying the food product on thefirst conveyor through the loading station in a first direction,conveying the food product on the second conveyor through the loadingstation in a second direction, and transferring the food product fromthe second conveyor to the first conveyor in a third direction, whereineach of the noted first, second and third directions is transverse toeach other.

The present method further includes providing a plurality of foodproduct cradles 94 on conveyor 25 for carrying food product 24 throughchamber 22 from the loading station to the unloading station, providingeach cradle with an opening 96 for receiving the food product at theloading station and discharging the food product at the unloadingstation, and including loading the food product on the conveyor at theloading station through the opening in the food product cradle,conveying the food product through the chamber on the conveyor, anddischarging the food product from the conveyor at the unloading stationthrough the opening in the cradle, and including varying the width 98 ofthe opening during traversal of the conveyor from the loading station tothe unloading station. The method includes widening the opening to awider width 100 at the unloading station. In a further embodiment, thefood product is loaded onto conveyor 25 at a wider width opening such as99, FIG. 7. The method further includes providing a plurality of foodproduct carriers 102, 104, etc. on the conveyor, each carrier having afirst segment 106, 108, etc., and a second segment 110, 112, etc.,providing a plurality of two-piece cradles 94 each formed by the secondsegment of a leading food product carrier and the first segment of atrailing food product carrier immediately therebehind, separating thesecond segment of a leading food product carrier from the first segmentof a trailing food product carrier by a gap 114, carrying the foodproduct on both the second segment of a leading food product carrier andthe first segment of a trailing food product carrier during designatedportions of the travel path of the conveyor such that the food productspans the gap 114 a. The method includes varying the orientation of thegap during traversal of the conveyor through the chamber. The methodincludes providing the first segment with first and second oppositefaces 118, 120, the first face facing forwardly toward the next foodproduct carrier thereahead, the second face facing aft toward the nextfood product carrier therebehind, the second face meeting the secondsegment at a junction 122. The method includes providing the conveyorwith a plurality of upwardly traveling flights 124 and a plurality ofdownwardly traveling flights 126 joined by upper and lower loops 128 and130, and further including changing the position of the food productfrom a first position 132 to a second position 134 as the conveyortravels around a respective loop, carrying the food product in the firstposition on the second segment and the first face of the first segmentand spanning the gap, and carrying the food product in the secondposition on the second segment and the second face of the first segmentat the junction. When the food product is cylindrical, the methodfurther includes rolling (136) the food product between the first andsecond positions by gravity, and providing a flat second segment 110 ato facilitate the rolling and minimize surface area contact with thefood product and touch-marks on the food product and the noted sticking.The method further includes changing the food product from the firstposition to the second position as the conveyor travels around an upperloop, and changing the food product from the second position to thefirst position as the conveyor travels around a lower loop. The methodfurther includes carrying the food product in the first position on twofood product carriers, namely the second segment of a leading foodproduct carrier and the first face of the first segment of theimmediately trailing food product carrier, and carrying the food productin the second position on one food product carrier, namely the secondsegment of the one food product carrier and the second face of the firstsegment of the same such one food product carrier. The method furtherincludes changing the location of the food product along the secondsegment between the first and second positions, the food product in thefirst position engaging the second segment at a first location 138therealong, the food product in the second position engaging the secondsegment at a second location 140 therealong. In the preferredembodiment, the first and second segments meet at a junction 122, andthe method further includes changing the position of the food productbetween the first and second positions as the conveyor traverses throughthe chamber, carrying the food product in the first position by thesecond segment of a leading food product carrier and the first segmentof a trailing food product carrier and spanning the gap 114 atherebetween, and carrying the food product in the second position by asingle carrier, namely at the junction 122 b of the first and secondsegments of the same such single carrier. The method includestransferring the food product to the conveyor 25 at the loading station,and transferring the food product from the conveyor 25 at the unloadingstation, and changing positions of the food product between the loadingand unloading stations, the food product being in one of the first andsecond positions at the loading station, the food product being in theother of the first and second positions at the unloading station. Themethod includes changing the position of the food products multipletimes between the loading station and the unloading station, e.g. duringeach traversal around a respective upper and lower loop 128 and 130. Inthe preferred embodiment, the food product is carried in the firstposition at the loading station, and is carried in the second positionat the unloading station. The method further includes traversing theconveyor 25 around a discharge loop 146 at the unloading station,changing the noted junction from an upwardly facing orientation 122 d toa downwardly facing orientation 122 e at the unloading station includinga change in orientation of the first segment from upwardly angled at 106d to downwardly angled at 106 e, and discharging the food product bygravity along the downwardly angled first segment. The method furtherincludes providing the first segment with first and second oppositefaces 118 and 120, the first face facing forwardly toward the next foodproduct carrier thereahead, the second face facing aft toward the nextfood product carrier therebehind. The second face meeting the secondsegment at the junction 122, and carrying the food product on the secondface 120 e of the first segment 106 e at the unloading station anddischarging the food products therealong at the discharge loop.

It is recognized that various equivalents, alternatives andmodifications are possible within the scope of the appended claims.

1-9. (canceled)
 10. Food processing apparatus comprising a foodprocessing chamber for processing a food product, a serpentine conveyorfor transporting said food product through said chamber from a loadingstation to an unloading station, a plurality of food product cradles onsaid conveyor for carrying said food product through said chamber fromsaid loading station to said unloading station, each said cradle havingan opening receiving said food product at said loading station anddischarging said food product at said unloading station, said openinghaving a width which varies during traversal of said conveyor from saidloading station to said unloading station.
 11. The food processingapparatus according to claim 10 wherein said width of said openingbecomes wider at said unloading station.
 12. The food processingapparatus according to claim 10 wherein said cradle comprises two piecescomprising a leading food product carrier and a trailing food productcarrier, each carrier having a first segment and a second segment, saidcradle being formed by said second segment of said leading food productcarrier and said first segment of said trailing food product carrierimmediately therebehind.
 13. The food processing apparatus according toclaim 12 wherein said second segment of said leading food productcarrier is separated from said first segment of said trailing foodproduct carrier by a gap, said gap being separated from said opening bya food product cavity therebetween containing said food product, andwherein both the orientation of said gap and the width of said openingvary during traversal of said conveyor from said loading station to saidunloading station.
 14. Food processing apparatus comprising a foodprocessing chamber for processing a food product, a serpentine conveyorfor transporting said food product through said chamber, a plurality offood product carriers on said conveyor, each said carrier having a firstsegment and a second segment, a plurality of two-piece food productcradles each formed by the second segment of a leading food productcarrier and the first segment of a trailing food product carrierimmediately therebehind, said second segment of said leading foodproduct carrier being separated from said first segment of said trailingfood product carrier by a gap, and wherein said food product is carriedby both said second segment of said leading food product carrier andsaid first segment of said trailing food product carrier and spans saidgap during designated portions of the travel path of said conveyor. 15.The food processing apparatus according to claim 14 wherein said gap hasa width less than the width of said food product such that said foodproduct cannot fall through said gap in said cradle.
 16. The foodprocessing apparatus according to claim 14 wherein said gap has anorientation that varies during traversal of said conveyor through saidchamber.
 17. The food processing apparatus according to claim 14 whereinsaid first segment has first and second opposite faces, said first facefacing forwardly toward the next food product carrier thereahead, saidsecond face facing aft toward the next food product carrier therebehind,said second face meeting said second segment at a junction, and whereinsaid conveyor has a plurality of upwardly traveling flights and aplurality of downwardly traveling flights joined by upper and lowerloops, and wherein said food product changes position from a firstposition to a second position as said conveyor travels around arespective loop, said food product in said first position being carriedby said second segment and said first face of said first segment andspanning said gap, said food product in said second position beingcarried by said second segment and said second face of said firstsegment at said junction.
 18. The food processing apparatus according toclaim 17 wherein said food product is cylindrical and roles from saidfirst position to said second position.
 19. The food processingapparatus according to claim 18 wherein said second segment is flat tofacilitate said rolling and to minimize surface area contact with saidfood product and touch-marks on said food product and sticking of saidfood product to said food product carrier.
 20. The food processingapparatus according to claim 17 wherein said food product changesposition from said first position to said second position as saidconveyor travels around an upper loop, and wherein said food productchanges position from said second position to said first position assaid conveyor travels around a lower loop.
 21. The food processingapparatus according to claim 17 wherein said food product in said firstposition is carried by two food product carriers, namely said secondsegment of a leading food product carrier and said first face of saidfirst segment of the immediately trailing food product carrier, andwherein said food product in said second position is carried by one foodproduct carrier, namely said second segment of said one food productcarrier and said second face of said first segment of the same said onefood product carrier.
 22. The food processing apparatus according toclaim 21 wherein said food product changes location along said secondsegment between said first and second positions, said food product insaid first position engaging said second segment at a first locationtherealong, said food product in said second position engaging saidsecond segment at a second location therealong.
 23. The food processingapparatus according to claim 17 wherein said food product carrier isL-shaped and has a first leg providing said first segment, and a secondleg providing said second segment, said first leg extendingsubstantially horizontally during travel of said conveyor in said upwardflight, said second leg extending substantially vertically during travelof said conveyor in said upward flight, said first and second legsmeeting at said junction.
 24. The food processing apparatus according toclaim 23 wherein said first leg has a turned lip at the end thereofopposite said junction, said lip being turned to extend from said firstleg in a direction opposite to said second leg such that said lipextends upwardly during travel of said conveyor in said upwardlytraveling flight.
 25. The food processing apparatus according to claim23 wherein travel of said conveyor in said downwardly by travelingflight is along a given downward angle such that said food product iscarried at said junction of said first and second legs.
 26. The foodprocessing apparatus according to claim 14 wherein said first and secondsegments meet at a junction, said food product changes between first andsecond positions as said conveyor traverses through said chamber, saidfood product in said first position being carried by said second segmentof said leading food product carrier and said first segment of saidtrailing food product carrier and spanning the gap therebetween, saidfood product in said second position being carried by a single carrier,namely at said junction of said first and said second segments of thesame said single carrier.
 27. The food processing apparatus according toclaim 26 comprising a loading station transferring said food product tosaid conveyor, and an unloading station transferring said food productfrom said conveyor, and wherein said food product changes said positionsbetween said loading and unloading stations, said food product being inone of said first and second positions at said loading station, saidfood product being in the other of said first and second positions atsaid unloading station.
 28. The food processing apparatus according toclaim 27 wherein said food product changes position multiple timesbetween said loading station and said unloading station.
 29. The foodprocessing apparatus according to claim 27 wherein said food product isin said first position at said loading station and is said secondposition at said unloading station.
 30. The food processing apparatusaccording to claim 29 wherein said conveyor traverses around a dischargeloop at said unloading station, and wherein said junction changes froman upwardly facing orientation to a downwardly facing orientationincluding a change in orientation of said first segment from upwardlyangled to downwardly angled, said food product falling by gravity alongand exiting from said downwardly angled first segment.
 31. The foodprocessing apparatus according to claim 30 wherein said first segmenthas first and second opposite faces, said first face facing forwardlytoward the next food product carrier thereahead, said second face facingaft toward the next food product carrier therebehind, said second facemeeting said second segment at said junction, said food product engagingsaid second face of said first segment at said unloading station anddischarging therealong at said discharge loop.
 32. The food processingapparatus according to claim 31 wherein said food product engages saidfirst face of said first segment at said loading station.
 33. The foodprocessing apparatus according to claim 14 comprising a loading stationtransferring said food product to said conveyor, and an unloadingstation transferring said food product from said conveyor, and whereinsaid conveyor has a return path from said unloading station to saidloading station external of said food processing chamber, and whereineach of said first and second segments of said food product carriers areflat, and comprising a washing station external to said food processingchamber and along said return path of said conveyor for washing saidfood product carriers, said flat segments facilitating access of saidwashing station to said food product carriers and rinsing thereof tofacilitate removal of food product remnants.
 34. The food processingapparatus according to claim 14 comprising a loading stationtransferring said food product to said conveyor, and an unloadingstation transferring said food product from said conveyor, and whereineach said cradle has an opening between said first and second segments,said opening being distally opposite said gap and defining a foodproduct cavity therebetween containing said food product, said openingreceiving said food product therethrough at said loading station anddischarging said food product therethrough at said unloading station,and wherein the width of said opening varies during traversal of saidconveyor from said loading station to said unloading station.
 35. Foodprocessing apparatus comprising a food processing chamber for processinga food product, a serpentine conveyor for transporting said food productthrough said chamber, said conveyor comprising a pair of transverselyspaced chains traversing around respective upper and lower sprockets inserpentine manner, a plurality of food product carriers extendingtransversely between said chains, each said carrier having a firstsegment and a second segment, a plurality of two-piece food productcradles each formed by the second segment of a leading food productcarrier and the first segment of a trailing food product carrierimmediately therebehind, said second segment of said leading foodproduct carrier being separated from said first segment of said trailingfood product carrier by a gap, and wherein said food product is carriedby both said second segment of said leading food product carrier andsaid first segment of said food product carrier and spans said gapduring designated portions of the travel path of said conveyor.
 36. Thefood processing apparatus according to claim 35 wherein said firstsegment has first and second opposite faces, said first face facingforwardly toward the next food product carrier thereahead, said secondface facing aft toward the next food product therebehind, said secondface meeting said second segment at a junction, and wherein saidconveyor has a plurality of upwardly traveling flights and a pluralityof downwardly traveling flights joined by upper and lower loops aroundsaid sprockets, and wherein said food product changes position from afirst position to a second position as said conveyor travels around arespective loop, said food product in said first position being carriedby said second segment and said first face of said first segment andspanning said gap, said food product in said second position beingcarried by said second segment and said second face of said firstsegment at said junction.
 37. The food processing apparatus according toclaim 36 wherein said food product changes position from said firstposition to said second position as said conveyor travels around anupper loop around said upper sprockets, and wherein said food productchanges position from said second position to said first position assaid conveyor travels around a lower loop around said lower sprockets.38. The food processing apparatus according to claim 36 wherein saidfood product in said first position is carried by two food productcarriers, namely, said second segment of a leading food product carrierand said first face of said first segment of the immediately trailingfood product carrier, and wherein said food product in said secondposition is carried by one food product carrier, namely said secondsegment of said one food product carrier and said second face of saidfirst segment of the same said one food product carrier.
 39. The foodprocessing apparatus according to claim 35 wherein said first and secondsegments meet at a junction, said food product changes between first andsecond positions as said conveyor traverses through said chamber, saidfood product in said first position being carried by said second segmentof said leading food product carrier and said first segment of saidtrailing food product carrier and spanning the gap therebetween, saidfood product in said second position being carried by a single carrier,namely at said junction of said first and second segments of the samesaid single carrier.
 40. The food processing apparatus according toclaim 35 comprising a loading station transferring said food product tosaid conveyor, and an unloading station transferring said food productfrom said conveyor, and wherein each said cradle has an opening betweensaid first and second segments, said opening being distally oppositesaid gap and defining a food product cavity therebetween containing saidfood product, said opening receiving said food product therethrough atsaid loading station and discharging said food product therethrough atsaid unloading station, and wherein the width of said opening variesduring traversal of said conveyor from said loading station to saidunloading station. 41-65. (canceled)